Book-holder



(No Model.)

s. 0. JOHNSON. BOOK HOLDER.

No. 494,574. Patented Apr. 4, 1893-.

UNITED STATES PATENT Dnmcn.

SAMUEL O. JOHNSON, OF RAOINE, WVISCONSIN.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,574, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed May 20, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL O. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book- Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of the holder. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the book holding frame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, being a side elevation of the lazy tongs; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4, 4 of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to devices for holding books, and it is particularly adapted to be used for holding a stenographers note book,

in such position that it may be conveniently seen.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved book holder, which isrso constructed that the position of the book may be adjusted at any desired angle, and by means of which the book may be moved toward or away from the operator at pleasure. I accomplish this object as hereinafter specified, and as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,a indicates a standard which is provided with a dowel a, adapted to fit into a suitable socket in a stand or table b, as shown in Fig. 1, and to rotate therein. A support may easily be provided for the standard a in any suitable object by making a socket for the dowel a. An extensible frame composed of lazy tongs c is pivotally connected with the standard a, and this connection is made by pivoting the inner end link 0 intermediate its ends to the standard a by a pivot pin 0 so that such link, if swung on its pivot, operates to raise or lower the lazy tongs in a vertical plane. To the standard a, in proximity to the pivot pin 0 is pivoted a cam 01 which is adapted to bear against the link 0' between its pivot pin 0 and its lower end, whereby the lazy tongs is supported. The arrangement of the cam d is such that by turning it the vertical angle of the lazy tongs c to the standard a may be varied as desired. In order to form a firmer support for the lazy tongs the periphery of the cam d is flattened Serial No. 433,770. (No model.)

at suitable points, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By this means the cam d is prevented from slipping out of position. The parts of the lazy tongs o are pivoted together in such manner that they will not work stiffly upon each each other, so that when extended or compressed the lazy tongs will maintain the position in which it is left.

e indicates a book rest frame which is of such size and shape as to hold a book, preferably of the size of which stenographers books are usually made; it may, however, be made of any other suitable size and shape. The frame e is provided with fasteners fwhich maybe of any suitable construction, for holding the book upon the frame e, and it is also provided with a cross bar g at its lower end to support the lower edge of the book. The frame 6 is connected to the outer end of the lazy tongs c by means of a clip h, which is pivoted at its ends to the lazy tongs in such manner thatit maybe moved vertically. The frame 6 is pivotally held by the clip h, as shown in Fig. 4., whereby the frame e may be turned laterally so as to throw it at an angle to the lazy tongs c. In order to permit of such lateral adjustment a portion of the frame e, to which is attached the clip h, is rounded, as shown in Fig. 4.

By the construction shown the book frame e may be moved toward or from the standard a; the lazy tongs 0 may be moved up or down; the standard a may be rotated to move the book holding frame and lazy tongs around it to any desired position, the vertical position of the book holding frame e may be changed independently of the lazy tongs, and it may be turned laterally independently of the lazy tongs and of the standard a.

The various adjustments combined as above described provide abook holder which may be readily moved to hold the book at any desired position.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination with a standard a, of a lazy tongs 0 having its inner link 0 pivoted intermediate its ends to the standard, abook rest frame mounted on the outer end of the lazy tongs, and a cam pivoted to said standard and bearing against the inner link of the lazy tongs, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a standard a, of a lazy tongs 0 having its inner link 0 pivoted intermediate its ends to the standard, a book rest frame mounted on the outer end of the lazy tongs, and a cam pivoted to said standard at a point below the pivot attachment of said inner link and bearing against the latter between its pivot attachment and its lower end, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a suitable support, and a lazy tongs pivoted at one end to the support, of a cam pivoted to said support and having a series of flattened portions at its periphery to bear against the pivoted end portion of the lazy tongs, and a book rest 15 frame carried by the lazy tongs, substantially as described.

SAMUEL C. JOHNSON.

Witnessesi ARTHUR G. DU FOUR, A. ARTHUR GUILBERT. 

